Madness Ravine, Crozant (1895) is a pastel on cream laid paper by the French Impressionist Armand Guillaumin (1841–1927), measuring 60 × 73 cm and held in the collection of the Musée d'Orsay (MuMa Museum of modern art André Malraux) ^[3]. The work belongs to the series of landscapes Guillaumin produced in the Crozant region of the Creuse department, where he painted en plein air to capture the rugged terrain and shifting light ^[1].

Provenance: the Musée d'Orsay collection

The painting is recorded in the collection of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris (Wikidata identifier MuMa Museum of modern art André Malraux), where it is accessible to the public ^[3]. The verified catalogue entry gives the date as 1895, the medium as pastel on cream laid paper, and the dimensions as 60 × 73 cm ^[3]. No earlier ownership chain is documented in the available sources ^[3].

Technique: pastel on cream laid paper

Guillaumin executed Madness Ravine, Crozant in pastel on cream laid paper, a medium that allowed for direct application of pigment and a distinctive surface texture ^[3]. The choice of pastel is consistent with Guillaumin's broader practice; a related work, Landscape in Crozant (c. 1898) at the Art Institute of Chicago, is also in pastel on cream laid paper, suggesting the artist favored this material for his Crozant views ^[4]. The cream laid paper support provides a warm ground that interacts with the pastel strokes, contributing to the luminosity of the landscape ^[4].

Artist: Armand Guillaumin and the Impressionist circle

Born Jean-Baptiste Armand Guillaumin in Paris on 16 February 1841, he worked at his uncle's lingerie shop while attending evening drawing lessons, and later worked for a French government railway before studying at the Académie Suisse in 1861 ^[1]. At the Académie Suisse he met Paul Cézanne and Camille Pissarro, with whom he maintained lifelong friendships; while he never achieved their stature, his influence on their work was significant ^[1]. Guillaumin exhibited at the Salon des Refusés in 1863 alongside these friends ^[1]. He was a founding member of the Société anonyme des artistes peintres, sculpteurs et graveurs (later dubbed Impressionistes) and participated in six of the eight Impressionist exhibitions: 1874, 1877, 1880, 1881, 1882, and 1886 ^[1]. The three artists frequently painted in each other's company in the 1870s; for a time, Guillaumin and Cézanne had studios next door to each other on the Île Saint-Louis in Paris ^[1].

Subject: the Crozant landscape

The title Madness Ravine, Crozant identifies the site as the ravine near Crozant in the Creuse department of central France, a region Guillaumin returned to repeatedly ^[3]. The painting depicts the ravine's rocky slopes and vegetation, rendered with the vibrant color and dynamic brushwork characteristic of Guillaumin's Impressionist approach ^[1][3]. The related Landscape in Crozant (c. 1898) at the Art Institute of Chicago, also in pastel, demonstrates the artist's sustained engagement with this locale ^[4].

Related works and exhibitions

A comparable pastel, Landscape in Crozant (c. 1898), is in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it was given by Spencer J. Marks and M. David Dubin in 1996 ^[4]. That work was exhibited at the Milwaukee Art Museum in "Impressionism: Pastels, Watercolors, Drawings" (September 12, 2011 – January 8, 2012), catalogued by Christopher Lloyd ^[4]. The Chicago pastel measures 44.5 × 66 cm, smaller than Madness Ravine, Crozant, and its provenance includes the Edgardo Acosta Gallery in Beverly Hills ^[4]. No exhibition history for Madness Ravine, Crozant itself is documented in the available sources ^[3].

Frequently asked questions

What medium did Guillaumin use for Madness Ravine, Crozant?

The painting is executed in pastel on cream laid paper, measuring 60 × 73 cm ^[3].

Where is Madness Ravine, Crozant located?

The work is in the collection of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris (Wikidata identifier MuMa Museum of modern art André Malraux) ^[3].

How does this painting relate to Guillaumin's other Crozant works?

Guillaumin produced multiple views of the Crozant region in pastel, including Landscape in Crozant (c. 1898) at the Art Institute of Chicago, which shares the same medium and subject matter ^[3][4].